


Neighbors

by sophia_the_pink_elephant



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst, Apartment Complex, Bisexual Lance, Coran is the landlord, F/M, Fluff, Gay Keith, M/M, Neighbors, Orphan Keith, eventual Klance, klance, shallura - Freeform, she/her pronouns for pidge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-11
Updated: 2017-03-11
Packaged: 2018-10-02 18:03:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 12,798
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10223975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sophia_the_pink_elephant/pseuds/sophia_the_pink_elephant
Summary: Keith needed a place to stay, so Shiro suggested the open apartment right across the hall from his. Keith moved in, but was not expecting to be thrown into a whole new lifestyle with his interesting group of neighbors. Allura, Pidge, Matt, Hunk, Lance, Keith, and Shiro all live across the hall from each other. Stuff gets pretty crazy.Oh, also, Coran is the best landlord ever.





	1. Moving

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my first fic, so I'm just going to see how the wind blows. I'm writing it on a phone, so if there are any mistakes, I apologize. I'm planning on making this a pretty long thing, so buckle your seat belts. I hope you enjoy!

If you're trying to get on your landlord’s good side, punching him is not the way to do it. Keith knew he had screwed up when he saw the blood dripping from his landlord’s nose, and how his face was a matching shade of red.  
“Out!” He screamed, veins popping out in his forehead  
Keith stared at him in shock and horror, all of the anger draining out of him as he realized what he had just done.  
“Wait, no, sir, please-”  
“No! I don't want to hear it! This is the last straw! I want you gone by 7:00!”

  
So now here Keith was, packing up his pathetically small amount of belongings. Everything he owned could fit into one suitcase. He sat on his bed one last time, willing himself to stay calm, to take deep breathes, to not panic. It was going to be okay. He could go to a coffee shop, use their WiFi, and find a place to stay for a bit. It was going to be alright. He took a shaky breath and willed his eyes to stop tearing up. He wished he could actually believe that everything was going to be fine. He had screwed up so many times that he should have been used to it, but it still hurt.

  
Keith wandered for a bit, then headed into a Starbucks to find a place to stay. He only had one person he could call a friend, so Keith called him as soon as he could. He felt the shame and guilt swell up in his chest as he heard the person pick up on the other line.

  
“Hey Shiro. I have a bit of a problem.”

  
After 30 minutes of being lectured, Shiro finally told Keith that there was an apartment open right across the hall from him. As soon as the phone call ended, Keith jumped on his laptop and found the place Shiro had suggested. It was small, but if it was just Keith, then he would be fine. It was also affordable, which was the real seller. He took a breathe, and felt a giant pressure fall off his shoulders. He leaned back in his chair, and almost cried in relief. Maybe everything would be fine. Maybe he could start over.

  
^~^

  
Lance reread the notice on the bulletin board. They were going to get a new neighbor! And the only apartment that was open on their floor was the one right next to his and Hunk’s! He almost leaped with excitement. He had gotten to know all of his neighbors pretty well, to the point where they were all family in a way. He loved them, but a new face would be fantastic.  
Shiro came out of his apartment and stood next to Lance.  
“Shiro! We're getting a new neighbor! You know anything about him?”  
“Actually, I'm the one who suggested he move here. I’ve known him for a while. He needed to find an apartment, so I recommended this one.”

  
Shiro started to walk away, but looked over his shoulder at Lance  
“He’s your age. His name is Keith Kogane”

  
Shiro turned back around and walked away, but not before he saw Lance’s eyes sparkle and his face flush.

  
“Keith Kogane” Lance thought,

  
Oh boy.


	2. What is this Feeling?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith finally meets his neighbors. There's one in particular that he doesn't like...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Just thought this up. I'm kind of excited. Also, yes, this chapter is themed off of What Is This Feeling? from Wicked. Sorry not sorry.

Keith opened the door to his new apartment and dropped his stuff on the floor. Shiro said that he would swing by to help with furniture in 2 hours. Keith had no idea what he was supposed to do in the meantime, so he just took out his laptop and started researching the area. About 30 minutes later, his new landlord, Coran, let himself in.

  
“Hello Keith! How do you like the apartment to far?”  
Keith shrugged   
“I just got here like a half hour ago, but it's good so far?” Remembering his relationship with his last landlord, he smiled at the orange-haired man. He would actually have to try to be friendly. Coral clapped him on the back and left.

  
About an hour later, Shiro called Keith.

  
“Hey! Forgot to give you a heads up, but everyone is coming over to help you get settled!”  
“Shiro! Who is everyone?!”  
“Oh, just the rest of the hall, that's all.”  
“Shiro!”  
“It's only, let's see, Pidge, Lance, Hunk, Allura, Matt, and Coran.”  
“What? I don't even know these people!”  
“Well, they're your new neighbors, so try to be nice. You should really try to make friends. Lance, Pidge, and Hunk are all your age. You might have some fun.”  
“Shiro!”

  
Shiro hung up, and Keith stared at his phone. He didn't really think about his neighbors when he moved in. He did remember Shiro being really close with the people living in the apartments next to him, but it only hit Keith then that these were people he was supposed to interact with too. In his old apartment building, he had lived next to two guys who smoked pot and a man in his 60’s who talked to himself. None of them gave Keith any mind. Keith wasn't really a social person, so it had worked out fine with him. But this was so different…

  
^~^

  
Lance had immediately said yes when Shiro had asked him and Hunk to help the new guy move in. He really wanted to meet him, and this was a perfect way to introduce himself! Hunk was also really excited about it, and had agreed as well. Pidge was over at their apartment at the time, and had said she would help, with some prodding from Lance. He danced around happily as Hunk and Pidge discussed what Keith would be like. Would he be friendly? Where had he come from? Would he be single? Would he be tall? Would he be taller than Lance? The last one got a disbelieving huff from the blue-eyed boy. It seemed like they were all excited.

  
^~^

  
Keith heard the doorbell ring, and dragged himself off the floor. He wasn't that good at being social, or friendly, so this wasn't going to be pretty. The most he could do was try to make sure his neighbors didn't hate his guts on his first day. He opened the door.

  
Shiro was the first one he saw. He was holding a couple boxes and smiling. Behind him, the strangest group of people stood, all staring at him. They smiled and started bringing stuff in. There was a tall guy with light hair and glasses, then another person(boy? girl?) right behind that looked exactly like him, but shorter. Then there was this lady, about Shiro’s age, who had very exotic looking silver hair and dark skin. Coran was standing next to her. Behind them, there was this really large dude, who had a sweet smile. And then Keith saw the last guy.

  
His first thoughts were, “ No, no, nope. Ima not do that. Is there an air vent or something? That I can crawl through to safety?”

  
First off, the guy was was hot. Keith wasn't even going to lie about that. He was tall, and had tan skin with dark hair. His eyes were a stunning blue. He held himself with confidence, and had a impish smirk on his face. Keith had seen this type of person before. He had avoided kids like that as if they were the plague in high school. They were always the loudest in the room, and this guy was no different.

  
As everyone walked in they, introduced themselves. The woman with the silver hair was Allura. The tall guy with glasses was Matt. The small one with glasses was Pidge(still confused on gender) The big one was Hunk, and the obnoxious one was Lance.

  
^~^

  
Everyone filed into Keith’s apartment. Lance couldn't keep his eyes off of the guy. Did he have a mullet? What kind of fashion curse was this guy? Still, he decided to be friendly, and gave him a dazzling grin(in Lance’s opinion) They all introduced themselves, and Lance could feel this weird emotion growing inside him. It was sudden, and new. His head started reeling, his face was flushing, he was a mess. What was this feeling?

  
^~^

  
Loathing. That's what Keith felt for Lance. The moment he saw him. Unadulterated loathing. For his cocky attitude, his stupid grin, his good looks. Everything about him screamed “playboy” or “class clown.” Keith didn't want anything to do with him. He was the kind of guy that was always at the center of attention, always goofing off, always good at making friends. Always what Keith never could be...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to tell me what you think in the comments!


	3. Smooth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So, the gang goes to Allura's smoothie bar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Sorry this took so long. I've been crazy busyT_T I hope you enjoy! Sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes!

A week had passed, and Keith still hadn't gotten used to living around all these friendly people. Coran stopped by regularly, and whenever anyone else saw him in the hallway, they always smiled and waved. It was almost unnerving. Keith had always been alone in school, everyone was afraid of him. He had switched foster homes so many times that he hadn't even gotten a chance to really attempt to try to make friends, so he didn't. Even his foster parents gave up on him eventually. Being in an environment where everyone was so open and kind was...different. Except for Lance. Anytime they were together, they would always butt heads and argue. That wasn't new to Keith. He had enemies before, but his relationship with Lance was more playtonic than that. He knew that no matter how many times Lance threatened to punch him or something, he never actually would go through with it. Keith was a different story. He constantly had to keep his temper in check. He had almost punched the brown-haired boy several times, and had to remind himself to calm down. Still, having some acquaintances and a rival was a lot better than being alone.

  
Keith was entering his apartment when Lance, Hunk, and Pidge passed him on their way to the elevator.  
“Hey, Mullet?!”  
Keith sighed,”What do you want?”  
“We're going out to Allura’s smoothie bar, you want to come?”  
That took Keith by surprise. He wasn't used to being invited to do stuff with other people, and he certainly didn't expect Lance to be the one to reach out to him.  
“Fine, as long as you try not to be a complete idiot.”  
“Aww, you know you love me!”  
“Go away.”

  
The smoothie bar was fairly close to their apartment complex, so it only took a couple minutes to walk there.   
On the way, Lance started talking about a show Keith had heard about, called Miraculous Ladybug. Apparently, Lance was a fan.

  
“Okay, I totally think that Lady Bug and Cat Noir are a better couple than Marinette and Adrien.” Lance announced.  
Keith looked at him, confused, “What are you talking about?”  
“Well, Cat Noir is much smoother than Marinette with his flirting.   
“But, aren't they like, the same people, just in superhero costumes?”  
“Oh boy, here we go.” Pidge shook her head sadly  
“No way! Ladybug is much smoother than Marinette, and I think that she would act all nervous around Cat if she found out who he really was.”  
“BUT THEY ARE THE SAME PERSON!”  
“YOU JUST DONT GET IT!”

  
Their conversations went a little like this until they reached Allura’s smoothie bar. They stepped inside, and Keith was immediately hit by a wall of friendliness. The whole place practically shouted “tropically modern” which was a little weird, but it worked. The walls were all a different color(red, blue, yellow, green, purple, and pink) and the whole place had a modern feel to it. It smelt like fruit and overly-cheerful people.

  
Allura was at the counter, and when she saw them walk in, she smiled and waved.   
“Hey guys! I'll be over in a sec!”

  
Pidge found them a booth and they all sat down. The whole environment was a little too much for Keith, so he just fiddled with his gloves and avoided eye contact.

  
^~^

  
Lance didn't know if inviting Keith was a good idea, but he tried anyway. If Shiro was friends with him, he's got to be okay, right?

  
They all sat down, and conversation started almost immediately. Pidge was trying to explain why Sherlock and John Watson were not a good match.   
“John is straight! He says so like, 5 times throughout the show!”  
“Yeah, well that's only because he's in denial. There is so much evidence that shows that Johnlock will be a thing.”  
“They're best friends! Of course they do stuff together! It's like me shipping you with Hunk!”  
“Whoah, hold up. Hunk and I’s relationship is purely playtonic, am I right, my man?”  
“Absolutely. Just like Sherlock and John’s.”  
Lance smacked his chest like he had gotten shot in the heart. “Hunk, how dare you betray me! I thought we had a bond! An understanding!”  
“I actually agree with Lance on the whole Johnlock thing.”  
They all turned to stare at Keith, then Lance pumped his fist in the air.  
“Heck yeah! Two against two!”

  
Just then Allura came to their table, and almost got clobbered in the face by Lance’s arm.  
“So, what do you guys-”  
“Okay, Allura, a need to ask you something very, very, VERY important.” Lance interrupted,  
“Is it if I can set you up in a date with my cousin again, cause if it is, than no.”  
Lance turned red in the face and shrieked  
“NO NO AAAHH DO NOT SPEAK OF THAT AGAIN AAAAAAAHHHHH!”  
Pidge rolled her eyes. “He wants to know if you ship Johnlock.”  
“Wait, doesn't John get married to-”  
“SPOILERS ALLURA DONT DO IT” Lance yelled while putting his hand over his ears.  
Then he saw Keith giggle out of the corner of his eye and smiled. Maybe he wasn't so bad after all.

  
^~^

  
Keith wasn't planning on contributing to the conversation until Lance brought up how he shipped Sherlock and John. He had seemed to be the kind of guy that balked at anything that wasn't straight as a wall, but maybe Keith was wrong. Maybe if he told them, they would accept it? He had come out to Shiro several years ago in high school, but he had never really told anyone else. He had tried to tell his foster mom at the time, and had gotten kicked out of her house. But maybe these guys would be different. They seemed open enough.

  
“Hey Mullet, what do you want?”  
Lance’s annoying voice broke through his thoughts.  
“Oh, umm, I don't know?”  
“Well, I would recommend the   
banana smoothie,” Hunk chimed in.  
“Aww, what! The blueberry one is obviously the best!” Lance said cheerfully  
“Green apple is the way to go, Keith. Trust me.” Pidge added.  
Keith looked at the board with all of the drinks, and chose the first one he recognized.   
“Uh, strawberry. I'll take a strawberry smoothie.”  
He heard several groans from his companions, and smiled sheepishly.  
“Alright. One Banana, one Blueberry, one Green Apple, and one Strawberry smoothie coming up!” chirped Allura, then she walked away to go make their drinks.

  
The group chatted about different fandoms and ships for about the rest of the time. Keith found that he was actually enjoying himself more than he had in a very long time. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all(yes I did that) liked it! Also, I was curious what you guys thought Keiths job should be? I was thinking something to do with motorcycles, but idk.


	4. Mystery Flavor and Hula Skirts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allura hints that she may have created a new smoothie flavor, so everyone HAS to go check it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Sorry, this took a while. I should be more consistent! Maybe! Hopefully!

Keith was just minding his own business in his room when he heard the doorbell ring. He walked over, and opened the door to one smiling face and two very excited ones.

  
“Hey Keith!” Hunk greeted him.  
“Okay. Keith. Allura may or may not have implied that she was creating a new smoothie flavor. We need to go and check it out. Now.” Pidge declared, adjusting her? glasses.  
“Yeah! We're all going! Come on, let's goooo!” Lance grabbed Keith's arm and started dragging him away.  
“Whoah, you guys weren't going to leave without us, were you?”

  
Shiro and Matt appeared next to Hunk, Shiro smiling with his hands on his hips, Matt with his arms crossed. Keith's pulse sped up. He hadn't had time to see Shiro in a while, and he had missed talking with him. He didn't really know Matt too well, but he knew that he was one of Shiro’s closest friends, so getting to know him would probably be a good idea, even if he was really bad at introductions.  
“Okay, we've got everyone, let's GO!”

  
The six made their way to the smoothie bar, with Pidge and Lance in the lead. Keith heard them debating on the flavor.

  
“I bet it's going to be Blue Raspberry!”  
“What! No way. I think it's going to be Lemon Lime, 100%.”  
“Ugh, who would buy Lemon Lime smoothies?”  
Keith, just for fun, yelled “I would!”  
He heard Pidge snort, and Lance hollered “You are not in this conversation, Mullet! Do not take her side!” back at him.

  
So, Pidge was a girl then. Huh. Matt started cracking up, and gave his sister a high five. Shiro gave Keith a brotherly smile and clapped him on the back. He knew that he was proud of him for being friendly, and it made Keith happy to know that he wasn't letting Shiro down.

  
They finally arrived at the smoothie bar, which Keith noticed for the first time that it was called “Altea.” He wasn't very good with names, and it had taken him a couple days to finally realize that their apartment complex was called “Voltron.” As they walked in, they were met with a rather...terrifying sight. Coran was wearing a hula skirt, and was dancing in the middle of the bar. He had a pink flower in his hair and was scarily good at the hula. Allura was trying not to laugh as she mixed someone’s smoothie. There was Hawaiian music playing, and a couple other customers were bobbing their heads to the steel drums.

  
Lance stared at Coran for a second, then joined him on the dance floor. He obviously didn't know the hula like Coran did, but he kept up pretty well. Keith watched in awe at how smoothly Lance moved to the beat. Hunk joined in, with Pidge sitting on his shoulders. They just kinda bobbed to the beat. Then Lance looked at Keith with a mischievous sparkle in his eyes that Keith didn't like on bit. Lance slid over, and Keith knew what he was going to do.

  
“Oh no. Nope, nope. I refuse.”

  
Lance grabbed Keith’s arm and dragged him into the middle of the floor. Keith felt his face flush bright red, but he tried to play it off cool. Lance twirled Keith around a bit, until he got the hang of it by himself. Shiro was clapping to the beat, leaning against the counter with Allura, and Matt was getting it all on video. Keith actually found that he was enjoying dancing. He laughed and moved with Lance and Coran, dancing around Hunk and Pidge. By the time the song was over, he was out of breath. They had attracted a small crowd, and they were all clapping and cheering them on.

  
After the song ended, they all collapsed into a booth, laughing and panting. Allura, Matt, and Shiro came over, barely containing their laughter.

  
“That was the greatest thing I have ever seen! You guys are hilarious!” Allura giggled, “So what are you guys having? Since you attracted so many people, they're on the house.”  
Pidge and Lance looked at each other excitedly. “How about that new flavor you were talking about?”  
Allura smiled “You mean the mystery flavor? Sure, how many?”

  
They all decided to get one giant mystery smoothie to share. Allura gave them each color-coded straws, and they all eagerly took their first sip. Keith thought it tasted like nothing else he’d ever had before. It was creamy, and fruity, and a bit tart. But the aftertaste was really sweet and tangy.

  
“What IS this?” He exclaimed, bewildered.  
Hunk took a long sip, his face thoughtful and focused.  
“It's a combination of Strawberry, Blueberry, Green Apple, Banana, Vanilla, and Blackberry.”   
Lance clapped his friend on the shoulder. “Nice, man! I can't believe you got all of that from one sip!”   
“Well, his taste buds are incredible!” Pidge declared excitedly.   
“Hunk, that is impressive beyond belief.” Shiro complimented.  
Matt stared at Hunk in awe. “Hunk, that is actually amazing.”  
“Well, yes, thank you, but I knew it because I helped Allura create the recipe. She asked me for new smoothie flavor ideas, and combining all of our favorites was one of mine.”  
Pidge and Lance stared at him, completely shocked.  
“You KNEW the new flavor and you didn't TELL US?!” Pidge gasped.  
“Hunk, how could you!”

  
Lance smacked his chest like he had been shot and flopped on Hunk, smiling. Pidge, who was on the other side of the bigger man, pretended to faint and threw herself on Hunk as well. The table burst into laughter, and the finished their drink.

  
Soon after, Matt said goodbye to everyone, leaving to go work on some crazy machine back at his lab. Hunk looked at his watch, and jumped.

  
“Lance! Pidge! Look what time it is! We're going to be late!”  
Lance glanced over at Hunk’s wrist and freaked out.  
“AAAHHHHHH! We've got to go! Rosa is going to KILL us!”  
Keith sat up, alarmed. “What's going on? What are you going to be late for?”  
“For work! We all work together, so…” Pidge explained.  
“Hey, Keith, you should come with us!”  
“Yeah! Lance, that's a great idea!”  
He felt Shiro nudge him a bit. “Well, if you're going to go, it better be soon!”  
“Come on, let's go!” Lance grabbed Keith’s arm, to Keith’s embarrassment, and the four of them ran out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for ready! Sorry for any typos!


	5. You're On

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just some Shallura.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here you guys go! Sorry for any typos!

Shiro watched his four younger friends fly out of the smoothie bar. He was filled with a sense of happiness when he saw Keith’s smile, as he was dragged away by Lance. Keith was a hard guy to get to open up, but it looked like Lance had already broken down some of his walls. Shiro hadn't seen Keith that happy since...forever. But Lance did that to people. He remembered when he had first met Lance, and how he had immediately felt comfortable around him. Lance didn't even look twice at his metal arm. Pidge, on the other hand, was quite interested in it, but not in a bad way. She had insisted that he sit down so she could examine it. Hunk was fascinated by it too, but was much more polite about it. He had asked Shiro what type of metal it was made with...etc. It was kind of sweet. And he had known Matt for years, they went to the same high school and they had been roommates at Garrison, so he was there when Shiro had gotten his real arm replaced by the smooth metal arm he had now. He had helped build the arm, and whenever it broke, Matt was the first person Shiro would go to. Then there was Allura. Shiro thought that she was the most beautiful person he'd ever seen. He loved her laugh, her smile, the way that her blue eyes sparkled when she was excited. Of course, he could never tell her these things, but he thought that she was absolutely incredible.

  
“They're pretty cute, aren't they?”  
Allura’s voice brought him back from his daydream. She was watching the four tear across the street.  
“Did you see Keiths face when Lance took his hand?” He turned bright red. It was adorable.”  
Shiro smiled. Allura was very perceptive. He loved that about her too.  
“Yeah, and did you see the way Lance’s eyes sparkled when they were dancing together? They would make a great couple.” She added.

  
Shiro didn't know if she knew about Lance’s bisexuality, but she definitely couldn't know about Keith's homosexuality. Shiro had always known, he could tell by the way Keith acted around boys, but it had taken years of being around him. Keith had come out to him back when Shiro was starting college at Garrison. Allura didn't know any of that, and still, her intuition was spot on.

  
“Yeah, they are pretty cute together.” Shiro agreed.  
“Okay, I bet you 20 bucks they will get together before today, next year.”  
Shiro looked back at her, with her smoothie splattered apron, her silvery hair, her confident smile, her sparkling eyes, every thing that made her her.

  
“You're on.” He said back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	6. 57.3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance shows Keith where he, Pidge, Hunk, and his sister Rosa work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I have sooooooo many ideas for this. Oh boy. If y'all have anything you want to see, you can tell me and I'll see what I can do!

The group rounded the corner and burst through the doors of a small building not far from Altea. Lance pulled Keith up the stairs, Pidge not far behind, and Hunk in the back. Lance pushed through the a set of soundproof doors and into a music studio-like area. As soon as he stepped through the door, a foot came out of nowhere and kicked him in the stomach. He collapsed to the ground, moaning. Keith put his arms up, ready to fight, when he heard Pidge snort behind him. Lance groaned from the floor, and slowly pushed himself up.

  
“Yeah, okay, I probably deserved that. Keith, this is my twin sister, Rosa.”

  
Rosa had the same color hair as Lance, but it was much longer and put into a ponytail. She had brown eyes, not blue, unlike Lance’s. She was standing with her hand on her hips, a triumphant grin on her face.

  
“Hi! Nice to meet you!” Then she turned to Lance, Pidge, and Hunk, who had just arrived at the top of the stairs.  
“YOU’RE LATE!”  
“Yeah*puff*we know. Sorry*puff*we just lost*puff*track of time.” Hunk gasped.  
Keith surveyed the area, confused.  
“So, what do you guys do, exactly?”  
Lance beamed “We run a radio talk show!”  
“Actually, Hunk and I run it, you and Rosa just talk.”  
“But WE came up with it first! And we bought the building!”  
“Yeah, okay, I'd like to see you try to broadcast something on your own.”  
“That…would not work. Probably.”  
“GUYS! We're already late! We need to get things started!” Rosa interrupted.  
“Hey, give Keith a mic! We can have him as our guest star!”   
“Yeah, okay, nope. I'm not a star, for one, and I also don't really know what to do…”  
“So are you saying that I'm better at something then you?”  
“What?! I've never done this before! I bet that if I get the hang of it, then I'll be WAY better than you!”  
“Oh, you're on, Mullet!”

  
They sat down at the mics, while Hunk and Pidge set up everything in the back. Hunk counted down, then started recording.

  
“Hey! Good afternoon everyone! Welcome to 57.3 with Lance and Rosa! Today, we have someone else with us! Here, introduce yourself…”

  
^~^  
Lance smiled at Keith. After a few minutes of being a bit awkward and mic shy, he was starting to get more comfortable. Lance could tell that Keith wasn't a very smooth talker, so whenever he would stumble, Lance would always swoop in and change the subject. Rosa was really good at keeping the conversation going too. She was extra witty, and smiled in encouragement whenever Keith would talk. Lance, himself, was having a blast. He loved it when they brought guests into the radio show, and he knew that Keith was having fun too. They even decided to prank call a couple people, by the recommendation of a few of their listeners. Lance loved the talk show, and he could tell Keith was having a good time as well. They argued and teased each other, but it was playful, and both ended up laughing afterward. When Lance had first met Keith, he had hated him. He thought he was this stuck up jerk. But as he got to know him, he started to enjoy hanging out with the raven haired boy, even if they did butt heads all the time. Lance realized that Keith was just a guy who needed a friend to stand by him. He was perfectly okay with being that friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Sorry for typos! Hope you enjoyed it!


	7. The McLaine Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang is invited to Lance's family's club for a party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, yes, this is very similar to The Club from In The Heights. YAY LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA! This whole fic is just going to be little ideas like this. Buckle your seat belts.

The whole Voltron gang was at Altea, sipping on smoothies. They had started going out rather regularly, and Keith found that he actually enjoyed being around them. Everyone was so welcoming. He had never really had friends before, besides Shiro of course. Suddenly having people who wanted to be around him was...nice.

  
“Keith, I spy with my very attractive eye, something red.” Lance looked at him mischievously.  
“Is it my smoothie?”   
Keith had gotten his usual, which was Strawberry.  
“Nope! Guess again!”  
“My jacket?”  
“Nope!”  
“The wall?”  
“Nope!”  
“What is it then?”  
“Guess!”  
“I did!”  
“Guess again!”  
“LANCE!”  
“Okay, fine. It was the red on your boots.”  
“I said that!”  
“No, you said the red on your jacket.”  
“LANCE! THAT IS TOTAL CRAP AND YOU KNOW IT!”  
“IT IS NOT!”  
Pidge interrupted their banter with a coughing fit, although it sounded suspiciously like she was saying “gay.” Keith felt his face flush, and started violently slurping his smoothie.  
“I spy with my little eye, something red.” Pidge declared. “Guess what? It's Keith’s face.”  
“PIDGE!”  
“That's what she said.”  
“LANCE!”  
At the last one, Matt squirted vanilla smoothie out of his nose he was laughing so hard.

  
The conversation continued like that. Nothing serious was discussed, just lighthearted chatter. Then Lance’s phone rang. He sighed and answered.

  
“Hey, what's up. Really? Oh, okay! Cool! Sounds good! Thanks!”

  
“What was that about?” Hunk questioned.  
“That was Rosa. She said that my family is having a big party at their club, and that all of you are invited!” Lance exclaimed.  
“Whoah, sounds fun!” Hunk beamed.  
“Do I have to dance?” Pidge groaned.  
“Yes. Yes you do.”  
“So are we all in or what?” Shiro asked.  
“We're in!” Matt shouted.

  
Keith didn't know what to say. He never really went to parties, and he wasn't very social. Big gatherings with lots of people were his worst nightmare. He got so anxious about the little things he would forget to have fun. But he guessed that he could try it, right? It was the least he could do for Lance. He knew that the other boy was really excited about it. Maybe he'd give it a shot.

  
The day(or night) of the party rolled around too soon. Keith was NOT mentally prepared for it at all, but he decided to go anyway. He didn't want to let his friends down, and if he got too anxious, he could just sit out.

  
Lance came by with everyone in tow, and they all piled into Hunk’s van. They were all dressed slightly nicer, but Pidge’s hair was still crazy, as usual. Lance had on a blue top, and looked very hot, to Keith’s embarrassment. Keith hadn't done a lot, and almost regretted not dressing up more.

  
They arrived at Lance’s family’s club. Everything was decked out in lights, and they had a band playing Spanish music on the stage. There were tons of people there, and Lance and Hunk seemed to know almost all of them. They immediately started catching up with some of the guests. Keith spotted Rosa, who was chatting with Allura(who had come separately)and a couple other girls. Once Shiro saw Allura, he took a deep breath and waved. Keith wasn't very good at reading people, but it was obvious that the older man had a huge crush on the silver haired woman. Pidge and Matt even seemed to know a couple people, and started up a conversation. Keith found himself standing alone, and made his way to the wall. He stayed away from the center of the floor, not wanting to be in anyone's way. He watched Lance interact with his family, and was immediately filled with an empty feeling. Keith hadn't ever been in one household for more than a year, and whenever he saw people having fun with their families, it always reminded him of something he would never have. He always screwed up, and nobody wanted an unstable tennager in their house. Keith sighed and put his head down.

  
The song switched, and the dance floor was cleared. Couples moved together to the beat. Keith saw Shiro and Allura towards the back, and both were smiling as they danced. In the middle of the group, Lance and this girl were twirling around the floor. The other couples moved out of the way to watch the two of them. Keith heard clapping, and someone yelled “Go Plaxem! Go Lance!” The two moved in synch to the beat like they were part of the music. They were perfectly in tune with each other, and they both had goofy grins on their faces. Keith found himself completely intranced in Lance’s movements. He danced like water, smooth and flowing. Keith felt this intense feeling of anger and jealousy surge through him. Oh god, what was wrong with him? He was lost in thought when a guy came and stood next to him. He had longer white blonde hair, and was holding a drink.

  
“Hey, do I know you from somewhere?”  
Keith looked up at him in bewilderment. “Uh, no, I don't think so.”  
“Really! I feel like I remember your eyes!”  
“I...don't think I know you?”  
The guy shot him a dazzling smile.  
“Oh well, we can change that. Names Lotor. What’s yours, hot stuff?”  
Keith could feel the anxiety building up in his chest. He felt like he was going to be sick.  
“Oh come on. I saw you staring down that guy on the dance floor. How about you forget about him, and we go get a drink? He won't notice you anyway. He's too caught up in that girl. But me, on the other hand…”

  
And that's when Keith punched him. He didn't even know what he was doing, but suddenly the music stopped and Lotor was on the ground, holding his nose. Firm hands pulled Keith away, and he saw Lance look up at him in confusion before he was whisked away from the growing crowd. The only thought in his head was “Oh crap oh crap what have I done”

  
“Keith, Keith, you need to calm down!” Shiro demanded.  
He pulled Keith outside, and turned him around so he was facing him.

  
“What the hell was that about?”

  
Shiro’s eyes were full of rage, confusion, and concern. Keith just threw his arms off of his shoulders and stormed off. He didn't really know where he was going, but he has to get away from everything.

  
Suddenly, all the lights turned off at once, plunging everything into darkness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Sorry for typos!


	8. In the Blackout

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance finds Keith.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helllooooooo! I kind of thought this one up by listening to Blackout from In The Heights. ITS A PHASE, OKAY?! Hope y'all enjoy! This ones a bit more fluffy.

Keith heard yelling and shouting of panic soon after the lights went out. He could feel the anxiety building up inside himself as well. He took a couple deep breaths, and tried to steady his racing heart. What was going on? Why was there a blackout? Keith stumbled around, trying to find his way back to the club.

  
^~^

  
Lance desperately tried to calm down the panicking guests. He meandered through the chaos, screaming for everyone to relax. They were all swarming to the door, pushing and shoving, trying to get out. Suddenly, he felt a cold hand on his shoulder, and turned to see Shiro’s panicked eyes.

  
“Lance, Keith stormed off. I don't know where he is. We need to find him.”

  
Lance felt his stomach drop. He hadn't really seen what had happened, but he did know that Lotor had a broken nose because of Keith. And the purple eyed boy didn't know the area like he and Hunk did. He would be completely lost, and a target for robbers or thugs. Lance took off, squishing himself through the door, and out to the pitch black outside.

  
^~^

  
Keith jumped at a sound in the alley next to him. A cat came sauntering out, but Keith couldn't stop the growing feeling of panic rising up from the pit of his stomach. He was hopelessly lost in an unfamiliar part of the city. He was on edge, and his situation seemed to get worse and worse the more he thought it over. He gave up on wandering around, and sat down against the wall of the nearest building. God, he was so dumb. Why couldn't he do anything right?! Would anyone even notice that he was gone? Would anyone care?

  
Keith buried his head in his arms. He could feel tears coming up, but willed them to stay down. He had to keep a cool head, or he would do something else stupid. Then he heard loud footsteps and unpleasant laughter coming from an alley. He shot up, wiping his eyes, and got in a defensive position. A group of five guys carrying baseball bats and hammers appeared from the darkness. They were dragging a bag full of what looked like stolen goods. When they saw Keith, they stopped and dropped the bag.

  
“What the hell are you doing here? You don't belong, tough guy. Hands up and you won't get hurt.”

  
The other thugs snickered something in Spanish, and they all laughed.

  
“Get away. Don't mess with me.” Keith growled at them, “I won't be the one hurt.”  
“Oh, think you can take us? Try me, pretty boy.”

  
Three guys with baseball bats rushed at Keith. He punched one, and kicked another right in the gut. He wasn't quick enough for the third one, and his bat collided with Keith’s shoulder, making a sickening crack. Keith grabbed his shoulder, and went down on one knee in pain. He was bracing himself to be hit again when he heard fast, light footsteps approach, then stop in front of him.

  
^~^

  
Lance got there just in time to block the second blow. He saw Keith on the ground, and was immediately filled with protective rage. He stood in front of him, blocking him from attacks. Lance started screaming at the group in Spanish, threatening to call the cops. He knew them, they were just some neighborhood thugs, and they knew who he was too. Lance came from a big family, and their club was very popular. The thugs knew they would be screwing themselves over if they messed with Lance. They scrambled out of the alley, dropping their bag of stolen items. Lance turned back to Keith.

  
“Are you okay? Did they hit you?”

  
Keith didn't meet Lance’s eyes, but nodded. Lance knew Keith was a very proud person, and admitted he was hurt must have been hard. Keith was holding his shoulder, so that must have been where he was hit.

  
“I saw you kick that one guy. It was like something from the movies! Are you secretly a ninja cyborg or something?”

  
At that, Keith laughed, and it filled Lance with a warm, fuzzy feeling. He helped him up, and the two walked away to find their friends.

  
Everyone was waiting for them back at the club. When they walked through the door, they were swept up by Hunk and Lance’s mom. Hunk was very upset, and gave them both giant hugs. Lance’s mom gave Lance a hug too, then launched into a lecture about “not going out during a blackout and not telling anyone where you're going.”

  
“Yeah, I love you too, Mum.” Lance chuckled.

  
The power came back on soon after, so they said their goodbyes and all piled back into Hunk’s car. Pidge immediately drifted off, snoring quietly. Hunk yawned, and dozed off as well. Keith was sitting next to Lance, and fell asleep on his shoulder. Lance smiled at him, thinking about how cute he looked when he slept. He too fell victim to slumber after a little while.

  
^~^

  
Shiro looked up from the steering wheel to the check on his passengers in the rearview mirror. Matt was awake, of course, and was playing on his phone. Pidge was asleep on Hunk, who was snoring loudly. In the back, Keith was snuggled up to Lance, fast asleep on his shoulder. Lance was sleeping as well, with his head resting on Keith’s. Shiro smiled, then fixed his gaze back on the road. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Sorry for typos! Sophia out.


	9. Hakuna Matata

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith fixes a motorcycle and the gang watches The Lion King.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sup guys! I love love LOVE Disney, and I adore the idea of Lance being a Disney freak too:) I may write more scenes like this in the future cause it's just so darn cute^^

Keith pulled the wrench back, then wiped the sweat from his face. He re-did his ponytail and continued on the motorcycle. The owner had come in earlier and said that it wouldn't start. It made Keith sad, the motorcycle was beautiful, and fairly new as well. His boss, Thace, came into the garage, carrying a box of heavy-duty tools.

  
“Looking good over there. Did you figure out what was wrong?”

  
Keith wiped the oil from his hands and stood up. “Something's jammed. I've almost got it, I think.”

  
Thace came over and examined the vehicle. “Yup, you're right. Look at that there. Here, loosen this.”

  
They worked like that for most of the rest of the day. Usually, Keith was a bit quicker with his fixes, but he was distracted. Had he really fallen asleep on Lance? Oh god, he probably felt really weird now. But Lance had rested his head on Keiths. Lance was straight, right? Apparently, his nervousness showed in his work, because Thace took him back and handed him a bottle of water.

  
“You okay there? You seem distracted.”  
“I'm fine, really.”  
“Girl troubles?”  
“No.”  
“Boy troubles?”  
Keith’s gave Thace a look that resembled a chicken getting force-fed sour milk. Thace laughed.  
“I'm guessing that's a yes, then.”

  
Keith’s face burned, but he laughed too. Was he really that easy to see through? But in the end, it didn't matter. Thace wouldn't tell anyone.

  
They finally managed to fix the motorcycle, after a few hours of puzzling over it. By then, it was about time for Keith to go home. He packed up his stuff, and headed out to the garage in the back. There, extra parts they didn't need were stored. Thace had told him that he was free to use any of the parts he wanted, after he saw how handy Keith was. They had all sorts of things in there, from tires to full engines. Keith had been working on something for months, and it was almost finished. He opened the door and got to work.

  
It was about 5:30 when Keith finally called it a night. He was starving, and covered in oil. He picked up his phone, and saw that he had a message. He played it as he walked home.

  
“Hey, Keith! This is Lance! We're having movie night at Hunk and I’s place, and I wanted to know if you could come? It'll be fun! It's at 6:30! Okay, bye!”

  
Keith sighed. He wanted to go, but he would have to rush home and take a shower. He packed up his stuff and headed out.

  
Keith knocked on the door at promptly 6:40. Hunk opened it, and gave him a bear hug.

  
“Keith! We didn't know if you would come or not! It's just Lance, Pidge, and I. Are you hungry?”

  
Keith was whisked into their family room, where Pidge and Lance were sitting on the couch, snacking on popcorn. On the table sat bowls of candy and chips. When they saw Keith enter, they smiled and waved.

  
“Hey! Made it just in time! We're about to start the movie!”  
Keith sat down next to Lance, and Hunk returned to his seat in the middle of Pidge and Lance.  
“Cool. What movie are we watching?”  
“The Lion King!”  
“...are you serious?”  
“Dead serious.”  
Keith shook his head sadly.  
“Very mature of you guys.”  
“Hunk still cries when Mufasa dies.”  
“PIDGE! He doesn't need to know that!”  
“Just sayin…”

  
Lance put the movie on, and they all settled down. Soon, the bowl of popcorn was gone, then a bowl of chips magically disappeared. They were on the last bowl of Skittles when Lance smiled mischievously. Pidge and Hunk listened closely to the movie for a second, the color draining from their faces.

  
“Oh no. Not again. No you don't.”  
Keith was confused. “What's going on?”  
Lance suddenly jumped up from the couch, nearly toppling the bowl of candy.

  
“Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful phrase!” Lance sang, smiling evilly.

  
Oh no.

  
The song continued, and Lance started dancing along with singing. He managed to pull Hunk into his little show as well. They traded lines for a few seconds, while moving around to the beat. Lance suddenly pulled Keith off of the couch and spun him around. Keith wasn't a good dancer, and protested, but when Lance jumped up on the coffee table and pointed finger guns at him, he couldn't help himself and joined in. Pidge was the only one left on the couch. She crossed her arms and huffed when they tried to get her to dance. Hunk scooped her up, and put her on his shoulders. She tried to act mad for a minute, but gave up and joined in with the singing. They finished the last phrase, then all collapsed on the couch in a fit of giggles.

  
^~^

  
Lance laughed so hard his stomach hurt. They resumed the movie, and all settled back down in their spots. Lance saw Keith’s eyes droop, and slowly close. He was snuggled up next to Lance just like in the car. Lance absentmindedly put his arm around him. When Can You Feel the Love Tonight came on, Pidge kept making heart signs in their direction. Lance stuck his tongue out at her. Lance could feel himself slowly slipping under, but willed his eyes to stay open. Hunk fell asleep not too long after that, and Pidge somehow drifted off during the fight scene. She was leaning on the bigger man, who was snoring. Their size difference was funny to see. Lance felt his eyes shut, and he let himself be taken away to slumber. The movie ended.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Sorry for typos! Sophia out.


	10. Blue Shells and Pancakes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An intense game of Mario Kart takes place and we all wish we had Hunk as a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! This took a while. I've been crazy busyT_T I love little mundane scenes like this. LET THE FLUFF BEGIN

Keith woke up and freaked out for a second, then remembered that he was in Lance and Hunk’s apartment. They had all fallen asleep during the movie. It was early, and the sun was just rising in the sky. Keith realized that he had fallen asleep on Lance again, and that Lance had his arm around him, and his face burned. He hadn't gotten much sleep since he had moved in, so he felt much more awake and in good spirits. He couldn't help the stupid grin that was spreading across his face.

  
“Keith, your gay is showing.”

  
His head snapped up at the voice. Pidge was eyeing him mischievously. Her eyebrows were raised and she was grinning.

  
“Not another word from you!” Keith violently whispered.

  
“Haha okay.”

  
Hunk seemed to be waking up too, and he stretched out his arms. He smacked Lance in the face, who jumped and fell off the couch.

  
“Oh my gosh Lance! I'm so sorry!” Hunk cried.  
“It's all good, my man.” Lance laughed.  
“So who's hungry?” Pidge asked, impatient.

  
Keith found out that Hunk was an amazing cook. He watched him move around the kitchen, clearly in his element. He was making some sort of pancake, but he had a whole array of fruits out as well. While he was doing that, Pidge and Lance had started a game of Mario Kart, which they were playing loudly. Keith joined them.

  
“Watch out Keith. Lance gets violent when he plays Mario Kart.”  
“Hey! I play Rosalina and I play to win.”  
“You can win without throwing the remote at the other player!”  
“That is irrelevant!”

  
Pidge chose to be Luigi, and Keith was Mario. They got really into it by the second race.  
“Hey, Mullet! Did you just red shell me?”  
“Eat it PIDGE I SWEAR TO GOD IF I GET BOMBARDED WITH GREEN SHELLS ONE MORE TIME!”  
“Haha get rekt son!”  
“BLUE SHELLS FOR ALL!”  
“LANCE!”  
“I will destroy you and everything you stand for! Rosalina will fall!”  
“Dude, Keith, you sound like you're playing Dungeons and Dragons or something.”  
“I do not!”  
“You do too PIDGE I SEE YOU DONT YOU FIRE THOSE SHELLS NO NO NO OH YOU ARE GOING TO GET IT!”

  
Lance lunged over the couch and grabbed Pidge, who was giggling like a maniac. He started tickling her, and she totally lost it. She howled with laughter, feebly smacking Lance’s arm. Hunk called them all in for breakfast, and Lance let her go.

  
^~^

  
Pidge clutched her sides, which were hurting from her intense laughter. She hopped onto the stool at the island, and waited to see what magic Hunk had cooked up. He put down a plate piled with pancakes right in front of her. She dug in, and gasped in surprise.

  
“Hunk! You made green apple pancakes!” She exclaimed.  
“Mine are blueberry!” Lance announced.  
“I have strawberries in mine.” Keith smiled happily.   
“And I made mine with banana! I knew all of you guys’ favorite flavors, so I thought I would do something special…”  
“Hunk, this is amazing!” Pidge smiled.

  
She had known Lance and Hunk since forever, it seemed. When she and Matt had first moved in, she wasn't very social, and she didn't really talk to anyone but Matt. But Hunk and Lance had included her on their excursions, and had listened to her ramble on about computers. Hunk had even helped her design her super laptop. Now, she couldn't imagine life without them. They were like her brothers. She could see that they were doing the same thing to Keith. They included him, and opened him up. She loved that about them. They were always such great people. She was a lucky person to have such great friends. But she had to wonder if Lance really wanted Keith as a brother, or a boyfriend. Either way, she was just glad he was happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for typos! Thanks for reading! Sophia out.


	11. Pools and Anger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang goes to the pool, and things get messy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyyyoooo! Just a warning: there is cussing in this chapter. Have fun! Also, this is really friggen cheesy, so prepare yourselves.

One day, Coran invited them all to the pool. He had a membership, and a bunch of guest passes that he had accumulated over the the years. He wanted to use them up before they expired, and he also wanted to get to know his tenants better. So they all piled into Hunk’s van(except for Allura and Shiro, who were riding together in Allura’s car.)

  
The pool was actually in a country club-like building. Coran signed them in, and they headed to the pool. It was too cold to swim in the outdoor pool, but there was a indoor one as well. Lance was excited to get in the water. He loved swimming, and he hadn't gone in forever. Everyone seemed hyped. Pidge was even jumping in her seat. Everyone except for Keith. He seemed rather moody, but when was he not? They all filed into the pool area, and were hit by a wave of chlorine-air. Lance took off his shirt and jumped in. The water was the perfect temperature. He splashed around in glee. Hunk cannon-balled in right next to him, sending a wave of water his way. Pidge pencil-dived in, followed by Matt, who preferred to slowly get in the water one toe at a time. Pidge got an evil glint in her eye, and pulled Matt into the water. He shrieked, then splashed her. Lance had to defend his friend, and if Lance joined in, so would Hunk, so they started an all-out splash fight to the death. Soon after, Shiro and Allura arrived, and joined Matt. They were all shrieking and laughing. Coran walked in, saw what was happening, and cannon-balled into the pool, joining Matt, Shiro, and Allura. Then it was really on. Hunk would drag his arm across the water, sending a wave at their opponents. Lance prefered to old fashioned “splash the person relentlessly in the face” tactic, and so did Coran and Allura. Pidge and Matt would use their feet to splash each other. Shiro was a one-armed splashing machine. He didn't want to get his metal arm wet, and it was covered in plastic. They were about evenly matched, so they really got into it. The other people in the pool avoided their side, scared of getting caught in the crossfire. They were all laughing and shrieking and sputtering. Sometime through, Lance noticed that Keith was missing. He looked around, and found him sitting on a bench by himself. Lance got out and walked over to him.

  
“Hey Keith! Whatcha doing over here? We need you on our side!”

  
Keith looked up at Lance in surprise, then down at the ground.

  
“Uh, I don't swim.”  
“What! How is that possible! Come on, let's go!”

  
Lance grabbed Keith’s hand and tried to pull him into the pool, but Keith jerked away.

  
“No, Lance! God, I said no! Why can't you accept that answer! Just fucking leave me alone!”

  
Lance stared at Keith in shock. Keith seemed to snap out of it, and looked horrified at what he had just said. Everyone had stopped splashing and were standing with their mouths hanging open. Keith clenched his fists and stormed away. Lance's gaze didn't move for a minute, but he jerked awake and ran to find Keith.

  
^~^

  
Keith didn't know why he snapped at Lance. He just wasn't comfortable swimming, and didn't want Lance to know. Plus, he had been on edge all day. He hadn't been able to sleep since that night they had watched The Lion King, and he was exhausted. But he realized he had really screwed up when he saw the blue eyes he had come to like swimming with hurt and sadness. Keith didn't know what to do, so he just ran off. He needed to get out of there.

  
Once he was out of the pool area, he slowed to a walk. _God, he was so stupid. Why had he done that? Lance was just trying to include him, and he went and yelled at him._ Keith felt like he was going to be sick. _This is why he didn't have friends._

  
“Keith?”

  
Keith whipped around to see Lance standing there, dripping wet. He seemed more timid then before, and his body posture was rigid. His eyes were a mix of concern, caution, and hurt.

  
“Go back to the pool, Lance.” Keith said coldly. Rage took over Lance’s shocked face.  
“You know what! God, I'm so done with you! I tried to include you, and you snapped at me! What the heck is wrong with you! You know what, fine. Leave. I don't care.”

  
Lance stormed away. Keith stood there, this time he was the one in shock. He checked out and took a taxi back home.

  
^~^

  
Hunk didn't really see everything that happened, but he apparently Keith said something rude to Lance, and Lance in turn yelled at him in the lobby. All Hunk knew was that his best friend was on the verge of tears. They decided to call it a day and headed home after the “incident”. Lance was a mess in the car. He had his head in his hands, and his eyes were misty. Hunk rubbed his back and told him everything would be okay, but nothing seemed to be sinking in. Hunk was worried about his friend.

  
Once they got home, Hunk sat Lance down on the couch and made him tell him what had happened. Lance explained what Keith had said, and what he had said in return. When he was done, Hunk gave him a big hug.

  
“I'm sorry that all happened! But I know you do care about Keith, and you like him as a friend. You guys need to apologize to each other. Wait for the steam to blow off, then go say you're sorry.”  
“Okay. Good idea. Thanks Hunk!”

  
Hunk then got a tub of ice cream, and the two shared it while watching The Princess Bride. Lance seemed to cheer up, and Hunk was happy that he had lifted his friend’s spirits. Now for Keith. He texted Shiro what had happened.

  
The Incredible Hunk: hey shiro! lance just told me what happened at the pool. do you think you could check on keith for me? Thxs!

  
Space Dad: thanks, hunk! I'm already on my way!

  
Hunk relaxed and settled down on the couch to watch the rest of the movie.

  
^~^

  
Shiro knocked on Keith's door, and waited for a response. The raven haired boy opened it up. He looked a little disheveled, like he had been sleeping.

  
“Oh, hey Shiro. Come in.”

  
The two sat down on Keith’s couch, and Keith sighed.

  
“You came over because of what happened today, right?”

  
Shiro nodded. He had seen Keith yell at Lance, but hadn't been there for Lance’s response. Keith explained what happened, then put his head in his hands.

  
“I really screwed up, didn't I?”  
Shiro shook his head. “No, not if you really do want to be his friend. Lance is a very forgiving person, and he cares about you. If you just talked it over with him, I think he would be okay. Just apologize!”  
Keith looked at him gratefully. “Thanks Shiro.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for typos! Thanks for reading! Sophia: out.(I think that's grammatically correct now?)


	12. Apologies under Stars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith apologizes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HEYYYOOOO! So sorry I was MIA for like, a month. This is short, but cute! Also, I was wondering if I should give Pidge a girlfriend? I wasn't sure.

Lance was coming home from the recording building when his phone dinged. He checked it, and almost dropped it on the ground.

  
Mullet Man: meet me on the roof at 9

  
Lance looked at the time. 7:30. He had an hour and a half to prepare.

  
9:00 rolled around, and Lance rehearsed what he would say in his head as he climbed the stairs to the roof. If Keith wanted to apologize, Lance would accept it and everything would be good again. If he wanted to yell at Lance, he would get out of there as fast as possible. If Keith tried to push him off the roof…

  
Lance pushed open the doors. The wind whipped his jacket around, and his eyes watered.

  
“Keith? Hey man, what did you want?”

  
He saw the shorter boy standing by the ledge, looking into the sky. Lance walked over and joined him.

  
“So, what's up?”

  
Keith turned towards him, and Lance saw that his eyes were full of guilt. He had dark bags under them, like he hadn't slept in days.

  
“I just...I wanted to...apologize. I'm sorry for snapping at you.”

  
Lance smiled, relieved, and put his arm around the other boy. “Yeah, I'm sorry too. It's all good, right?”

  
Keith nodded, and looked as though a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Lance pushed himself up on the ledge, so his feet were dangling off.

  
“The sky looks really cool from up here, doesn't it?” Lance said breathlessly.

  
Keith joined him on the ledge, and they both gazed up at the stars in wonder.

  
“Yeah, they really do.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Sorry for typos! Sophia: out.


	13. Orange Knee-High Socks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance and Pidge watch some SU, and Keith goes to the gym with Shiro.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HALLOOOOOO! Sorry, I've been like, crazy busy for a while! Thanks for hanging in there! FLUFF IS ON THE WAY!!

The weather continued to cool down. December was approaching, but not quite there yet. Hunk left for a day to spend some time with his grandparents, who were visiting from New Mexico, leaving Lance alone in their apartment. He enjoyed the silence for all of five minutes before missed his best friend. He was lonely out of his mind, so he called Pidge and invited her over. She brought her super laptop, and the two settled down on the couch with a bowl of chips and started to binge-watch Steven Universe.

  
^~^

  
“Shiro, I can't believe we haven't done this before.”

  
Keith ran to catch up with the older man. Shiro also had a membership to Coran’s gym, and was dragging Keith along with him. They checked in, and made their way to the boxing arena. They had punching bags set up, hanging from the ceiling. Shiro dropped his stuff and put on the gloves. Keith did the same. They found punching bags next to each other, and started going at it.

  
“So*puff*how are you and Allura?*puff*Dating yet?”

  
Shiro playfully rolled his eyes at Keith, who just smiled mischievously.

  
“Now, that's none of your business, is it?How are you and Lance?”  
“Oh, touché.”  
“I'm serious! Do you like everyone? Punch like this, here. Are you getting along with them?”  
Keith slammed his fist into the bag. “Yeah, I guess. I've never had this many people who I would call friends in my entire life.”  
“Good! I'm glad everything is working out-jab right there, yeah, perfect.”

  
They continued on like that for about an hour, just chatter with constructive criticism occasionally thrown in. They were going on their second hour when they heard a familiar voice.

  
“Hey boys! Funny meeting you here!”

  
The two turned to see Coran standing there, wearing bright blue short-shorts. He had on orange knee-high socks that matched his moustache.

  
“Oh god Coran, no offense, but your outfit is...a…eccentric. Those shorts…”

  
Shiro stifled a laugh with his non-robotic hand.

  
“You like the shorts? I can tell you where to find them!”  
“Uh nope that is not what I meant okay yeah no.”  
“Oh. Well, I better be off. You boys have a good workout!”

  
Once Coran left, Shiro and Keith burst out into a fit of laughter.   
“Did you see those shorts?! Oh my gosh. Coran. No.”  
“Then he asked you if you wanted a pair!”  
“The socks were awful too! Just, wrong on so many levels.”  
“Well, that's Coran for ya. Gotta love him though.”

  
They went back to their training. Occasionally they would comment on each other's form or posture, but they spent the majority of the rest of the time in a comfortable silence. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coran is my FAVORITE. Thanks for reading! Sorry for typos! Sophia: out.


	14. Altea Smoothie Bar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Allura gets Shiro to help with the bar and he kind of asks her out?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHAHAHAHA BET YOU THOUGHT I WAS GONE FOR GOOD!

Shiro looked in the mirror, quickly ran a finger through his hair, and sighed. Today, he was going to ask Allura out on a date. He was nervous, but really excited too. He grabbed his stuff and ran out the door.

  
He walked through the doors of Altea Smoothie Bar, and was met by the familiar scent of fruit. He spotted Allura behind the counter, whipping up a storm of smoothies. Her hair was falling in her face, and she looked stressed. He still thought that she was gorgeous, and had the urge to sweep her off of her feet and carry her far away. Instead, he waved, and her face brightened when she saw him.

  
“Hey Shiro!”  
“Hey! You look a bit under-staffed.  
Anything I can do to help?”  
“Actually, yeah! That would be awesome! Here, put an apron on and follow me! You know how to use a blender, right?”

  
Shiro nodded, and slid behind the counter.

  
“Actually, here. Taking people's orders and making the smoothies is almost impossible, so could you man the counter while I catch up?”  
“No problem!”  
“Thank you so much!”

  
Allura started on blending everything up right away. Shiro smiled and stepped up to the counter, where a person was already waiting. They worked side by side, and time seemed to fly. Soon enough, it was closing time and all the customers were gone.

  
“Sorry to keep you all day! You being here helped a TON though. I was getting a little overworked.”  
“Oh no, it's fine. I really had fun today!”  
“Really? Everyone loved you! You should work here more often!”  
“Yes, I could quit my job as a military pilot and work at a smoothie bar with you all day.”  
“Yes. 100%.”

  
They both erupted into giggles. Shiro loved Allura’s laugh. Her nose scrunched up, and her eyes sparkled. God, she was so beautiful. Now he had to work up the courage to ask her out. Shiro was about to open his mouth when Allura spoke.

  
“Hey, I know how I can make it up to you! Let's go to a movie! I heard there are some good ones out in theaters!”  
Shiro stared at her in shock, but regained his cool. “You don't need to make it up to me! But a movie sounds great! What one were you thinking of?”  
“I don't know. I was just thinking we could go and see what they have. 8:00 on Saturday okay?”  
Shiro beamed. He didn't even need to ask her in the end. “Sounds great!”  
“Yay!”  
She reached over and gave him a half-hug, and Shiro thought he would explode from happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!


	15. Keith's Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some backstory on our favorite space emo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! Gosh, it's been forever! Man, I really need to get better at being consistent. Also, I read some of my earlier chapters and CRINGE. They were just...oh god...awful. Hope you guys like this better!

The rain drizzled down the window, creating rivers on the clear glass. The sky was a mess of dark, powerful, grey clouds that filled the world with tense air. Keith hated the rain. Some of the other boys in the foster house didn’t, though, so they were outside splashing in puddles. Keith watched them with a dull ache in his chest. They hadn’t even asked him if he’d wanted to join them. No one ever did anymore. The first foster home he’d been sent to had been okay, and he’d managed to stay there for only 2 months before the couple had sent him back, like a broken toy that wasn’t amusing anymore. It wasn’t his fault, they said. It just wasn’t a good fit. He was “too impulsive”, “too sensitive”, “too easily upset and angry all the time”. So Keith had returned to the foster care facility. At his next foster home, he had lasted 4 months. But, nope. He was “too emotional”, “didn’t think things first”, and was “impossibly stubborn and hotheaded”. Things went similarly for about two more years until Keith had had enough. So, at age 11, he decided to build walls around his heart, so strong and sturdy, that no one could ever get through. He would push others away, focus only on his studies and work, so no one would ever abandon, reject, or hurt him ever again.

  
Then, in middle school, the fights started.

  
People would take his isolation as standoffish, and he became the tough guy, the one to beat. Keith’s hotheaded nature and snappy remarks didn’t help his image, and he would get into fights almost every day. His walls were so thick and high, no one thought it was even possible to get through them.

  
In his freshman year of high school, Keith met Shiro. He was a senior, and was assigned to help Keith find his way around the school. Shiro was different. He was open and kind, and Keith could feel his wall coming down, brick by brick, as he got to know the older man. They became really close, and Shiro began to think of himself as Keith’s older brother, in a way. Keith looked up to him in a way he’d never for anyone else before, and they became kind of inseparable. Then Shiro graduated and left for college, to train to become a pilot, and Keith’s wall became impossible to break. It was back to being alone, and Keith’s little bits of self esteem and balance he’d built with Shiro came crashing down. He became a beast at fighting, letting the feel of blood and broken bones ease away the loneliness and pain. It never did, though. He would punch and kick and beat the crap out of anyone who messed with him, but it did nothing to stop the burning hurt that seeped through the cracks and holes in his wall, enveloping him in an unbearable ache, suffocating, where he would just lay down and stare at the sky, wondering who could ever love someone like him, as hot tears leaked out of his eyes, overflowing and boiling from the heat of his soul.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! If y'all have anything you want to see, comment please!


	16. Lance's Backstory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little bit on our favorite space goofball.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! I know this is soon but whatever. I'm improving quite a bit with my writing, so that's a yay!

Lance had always been a happy person. It was hardwired in his soul. His mama had always said that when he was born, a tiny piece of the sun had broken off and inserted itself in Lance’s heart. That didn’t mean that he never got sad, he did, and it was usually a mess of tears and blubbering and saying “I love you”, or that he never felt insecure, he did, and it made his insides feel empty and hollow, but Lance always bounced back, because he knew that he was loved.

  
In elementary school through high school, Lance always had a lot of friends. He wasn’t exactly popular, he didn’t sit with the jocks and make every girl’s heart swoon(well..I mean, kind of) but he knew everybody, and could make a whole class burst into laughter. A lot of people talked to him, and he started to have doubts about himself as a person. Did they like him? Did they actually think he was funny, or did everyone talk crap when he wasn't there? Was he good enough, hot enough, fun enough? But when those thoughts started to slip in and taunt his sunshine smile, he could always count on his best friend, sweet, gentle Hunk, to help him through it all. Lance knew he wasn’t the best at a lot of things involving academics, which troubled him more than he let on, but he also knew that he as a good person in his soul and if he couldn’t be the smartest or the fastest, he would have to be the funniest and the friendliest. He had the best friend in the world, who adored him, with all of his flaws, who gave incredible hugs could cook like a child Gordon Ramsay. He had a supportive and very large family to stand behind him whenever he needed it, and could always make him smile while reminding him who he was, and that he was loved, no matter what anyone else thought about him. When the pressures of teenhood got to be too much, he could always count on those special people in his life to build him back up and make him feel okay inside.

  
Sometimes he would come off loud and obnoxious to people, and they would call him overconfident and dumb, emotional and too intense and fast paced. He knew he could be all of those things, and he hated that not everyone liked him when they first met him, but everyone has flaws, and those things are what made him Lance. He built his life up on becoming the person who could make anyone smile, and could cheer you up if your dog died or you flunked a math test. He even tried to stay friends with his exes(he had many) and they usually did. He never got rid of the insecurities, no one ever does, but he learned how to tune them out. Sometimes, though, he would lie in bed, staring at the ceiling, contemplating all his relationships and decisions with a critical eye as the stars gently twinkled outside his window. It was then that he truly appreciated all of his sister's hugs, and his mom's words of encouragement, and his best friend’s smiles. He would not let them down

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PEACE OUT PEOPLE  
> *ninja-rolls away*


	17. It’s Britney Bitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karaoke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You’re welcome, Nick

Keith was just chilling in his room, totally NOT researching mothman sightings and listening to The Lion King soundtrack, when a series of rapid, inconsistent knocks came from his front door. He heard “Open up, Mullet Man!” in a very familiar, annoying voice from the other side of the wall, then a “Lance, shut up! He might not open the door now!” in a higher, more feminine voice, that he also recognized and knew belonged to a small computer geek with circle glasses. Keith groaned while getting up and went to the door.

 

“I do not have a mullet!”

“That’s what someone with a mullet would say.”

“LANCE!”

“See, Pidge? He sounds guilty.”

“LANCE I SWEAR THEY WONT FIND YOUR BODY IF YOU SAY ONE MORE WORD!”

“I know a guy who knows a guy…”

“PIDGE HOW COULD YOU!”

“Umm… I would prefer it if we, like, not kill each other. Coran would freak.”

 

That must be Hunk.

 

“Fine, but only for you Hunk.”

“Thank you Pidge.”

“HUNK YOU ARE MY SAVIOR AND KEITH OPEN UP THIS DOOR!”

 

Keith unlocked the door and stepped out. 

 

“So, what’s up?”

“Well, Pidge and I built this really cool machine, we actually fixed it, not built it, kind of. But anyway, it's a karaoke machine and we thought it would be fun to try it out. Also, Lance wanted to have a lip synching battle or something.”

“YOU CANNOT DEFEAT ME! I AM THE KARAOKE OVERLORD!”

“Is that a challenge, Lance?”

Keith raised one eyebrow, mischievously.

“Oh hoho you do not want to challenge the Karaoke Overlord. THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE-AHHH HEY!”

Pidge had karate-chopped Lance in the head, causing the taller boy to lose his balance. He dramatically fell to the floor, clutching his head.

“IVE BEEN FATALLY WOUNDED! Hunk, you get to split my possessions with my family. Keith, you get my wardrobe because gosh you need it. Pidge, you get NOTHING YOU TRAITOR!”

 

This was going to be a fun day.

 

Keith was screwed. He had immediately challenged Lance, because, well, he was Lance, and he just HAD to beat Lance. But the problem was this: Keith had no idea what karaoke was. Not a clue. He assumed it was something to do with music? Keith could feel the anxiety seeping in. Oh god he was going to look like an idiot. 

 

The karaoke machine was set up next to Lance and Hunk’s tv, because both seemed fine with having a giant black box blocking their coffee table. Pidge pushed a few buttons on the top, and turned to Lance.

“You going first? What song?”

 

Lance got a mischievous glint in his eyes, one that Keith had seen so many times, and knew that something hilarious was about to happen. 

“Oh, don't worry Pidge. I've got it.”

Oh god.

“Okay, well, we still need to set up the lyrics on the screen.”

“Ain't nobody got time for that. I know this song by heart.”

“Bad meme Lance.”

“Shut up, Pidge. I'm getting...in the zone.”

OH GOD

The music started playing, and the iconic start, kind of like a spy movie but not really, brought fear and groans to everyone in the group.

 

“Baby, can't you see…”

 

Keith watched in awe as Lance totally worked the song. Which is hilarious, because usually guys can't work Toxic by Britney Spears. He stared at them with this goofy “sexy” face, and strutted around with the mike. He hit every note perfectly, and Keith would have laughed if his voice wasn't so good. Oh god is this what karaoke is?! 

 

“Oh, the taste of you lips, I'm on a ride!”

Pidge lost it and cracked up.

“YOU’RE TOXIC IM SLIPPING UNDER!”

Keith couldn't stop smiling at the crazy dork in front of him. He moved so in synch with the song, it was beyond anything Keith could do. It was mesmerizing and amazing. Keith could practically see the muscles moving under Lance’s shirt as he swayed to the beat. He could see the sweat dripping off his soft-looking, tan skin and his blue eyes glowed. Since when had Lance been so attractive WAIT A MINUTE WHAT?! Where did THAT thought come from?! Keit could feel heat rising up into his cheeks and snapped his head away from the idiot in front of him. What was his problem? He and Lance were rivals, and he had to focus on beating him in the dumb karaoke contest. Keith collected himself and returned his gaze to the blue-eyed boy. 

Oh 

“I'm addicted to you, don't you know that you're toxic!”

 

Did Lance just WINK at Keith?

 

Oh he was so screwed.


	18. Dixie Chicks

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karaoke(continued)

Keith could feel the stairs of his friends as he walked over to the karaoke machine and put in his song. He knew he was nowhere near as good a dancer as Lance, so he would have to wow them with his song choice and his voice. 

 

This was going to be sooo bad.

 

He clicked play and took a deep breath.

 

“I took my love, and I took it down. Climbed a mountain then I turned around.”

 

By the looks of confusion on Pidge and Hunk’s faces, they didn't recognize the song. Lance did though, and he wore a perplexed expression.

 

“Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?”

Keith could remember himself, at 14, asking the same thing, in tears, as he pondered why he didn't like girls like other boys did.

 

“Can the child in my heart rise above?”

Keith, at 7, being rejected for the first time. Crying to himself as his former family told him that he wasn't good enough.

 

“Can I handle the seasons of my life?”

At 15, screaming at God for doing these awful things to him.

 

More confused expressions from his audience.

 

“Well, I've been afraid of changing, because I built my life around you.”

At 11, crying, cursing himself for being so angry, so emotional, so reckless. Promising to never let anyone hurt him again. Building walls to protect himself from people who could have cared about him.

 

“But time makes you bolder. Children get older. And I'm getting older too.”

At 18, getting fired from his third job for punching his co-worker when he called Keith a faggot.

 

“Well, maybe.”

Maybe he was worth love.

 

“Well, maybe.”

Maybe he could let people in.”

 

“Well, maybe.”

Maybe they’d accept him.

  
  
  


Maybe they wouldn't.

 

“The landslide will bring you down.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Excuse my typos

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I hope you liked it! I'm new at this, so constructive criticism is always appreciated! Feel free to tell me what you think in the comments!


End file.
